Karl Marx & Religion

Were you searching for more information about Karl Marx, Marxism, or Marxist critiques of religion? One person who attempted to examine religion from an objective, scientific perspective was Karl Marx. Marx's analysis and critique of religion is perhaps one of the most famous and most quoted by theist and atheist alike. Unfortunately, most of those doing the quoting don't really understand exactly what Marx meant.

According to Marx, religion is an expression of material realities and economic injustice. Thus, problems in religion are ultimately problems in society. Religion is not the disease, but merely a symptom. It is used by oppressors to make people feel better about the distress they experience due to being poor and exploited. This is the origin of his comment that religion is the “opium of the masses” - but as shall see, his thoughts are much more complex than commonly portrayed.

More:

• Karl Marx: Background & Biography
• Karl Marx: Economic Theories
• Karl Marx: Analysis of Religion
• Religion: Opium of the People?
• Critiques of Karl Marx's Ideas on Religion